CASTIGLIONE, BALD.SSARE, Count (1478 1529). An Italian author and statesman, lie was born at Casanatico, Duchy of Mantua, and studied in Allflau. Ilis many talents, wide knowledge, and polished manners made him a favorite of Gnidobaido di Montefeltro, Dnke of Urbino, a great patron of literature. who enter tained him at. his Court, together with other dis tinguished men of letters. Be was sent by the Duke as envoy to henry V1L of England, to re ceive the barter conferred upon his patron, and later represented the Duke's successor at the Papal Court, and in Spain. where in the last years of his life lie became naturalized and was made Dishop of Avila. lie died in Toledo, February 7, 1529. broken-hearted, it is said, because Clement I'll. unjustly accused him of treachery. Casti glione's chief work is his famous Libro del ginno (Venice, 152S; latest edition, with full com mentary by V. Chm. Florence, 1894), a manual for courtiers, notable for its finished style and for the high ideals which it sets forth as consti tuting the perfect ciairtier. This work. which is in four parts, rind oecupied the author's at tention for upward of eight years. is east in the
form of a series of imaginary dialogues between the various men of distinction and noble ladies who met at the Court of and dismissed a wide variety of subjects, ranging all the way from art and literature to womanly virtue and platonic love. The volume was one of the most widely popular books of the period, both in Italy and elsewhere, formed the basis of Bosom's fa mous 'golden translation' into Spanish. and was pronounced by Dr. Johnson "the best book that ever was written upon good breeding." Cas tiglione's Lettere (2 vols.. Padua, 1769-71) •on tain interesting (mai ibutions to the political and literary history of his time. Many distin guished Italians united in perpetuating his memory-1laplmel in a portrait, and 'Passe in a sonnet, while (Mini) Romano designed the monument in Padua, for which B•mho provided the epitaph. Consult Martinati, Notizie sto•co biogralich• intorno al collie Baldassare Casti glione t Florence, 18'91).